“Hrayr Tovmassyan, Minister of Justice, presented such an interpretation of the law, which is generally contrary to the principles of law, our Constitution and the law,” said the ANC leader Levon Zurabyan, in the conversation with the journalists at the National Assembly, after the meeting with the Speaker of the National Assembly. Today, about 13:30, ANC leader Levon Zurabyan and and MP of the faction Nicole Pashinyan met with Tigran Sargsyan and the Minister of Justice Hrayr Tovmassyan at the cabinet of the Speaker of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan to get clarification on why the access of Pashinyan to “Nubarashen” Criminal-Executive Institution was hampered on Saturday, and the Arabkir police chief refused to meet with Zurabyan. To remind you that after the event on November 5 , Nicole Pashinyan tried to enter the “Nubarashen” CEI to find out about the conditions of detained persons, but the Deputy of CEI did not allow, moreover, Article 48 of RA Law on “Treatment of Arrestees and Detainees” says that MPs shall have the right of free access to places of arrest or detention without special permission, including the cells where detainees are kept. Chairmen of the Parliamentary Committees David Harutyunyan, Koryun Nahapetyan, Vardan Ayvazyan, RA Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan were present at the meeting in the cabinet of the Speaker of the National Assembly. According to Zurabyan, Hrayr Tovmassyan tried to interpret the law in such a way that the right of free access does not include the possibility of meeting with specifically the arrested. Zurabyan considers the interpretation of the law by the Hrayr Tovmassyan arbitrary, because the latter “failed to prove his point of view.”
Zurabyan said that he will do everything to overcome these illegality. The forms of appeal are yet to be decided. Zurabyan excludes the option of different reading of the law, “It was an imitation of different reading by Hrayr Tovmassyan.” According to Zurabyan, the Minister of Justice has contradicted the “letter and spirit of the law.” What happened a few days ago, and the results of today’s meeting, provided basis for Zurabyan to assume, “They are trying to get involved in verbalism and to restrict the rights of deputies, and, in fact, gradually we tend to get the idea that really some violence was acted and they are trying to hide it. Otherwise, there would not be such a fierce resistance.”
Nelly Grigoryan
